MD13 459 Report post Posted December 7, 2022 My son will be 16 shortly and is looking forward to driving which has me thinking... Now I'm old but when I was a lad you always learned in a manual car and sat the test in one so you didn't have the 'auto only' label. Given how hard it is to find manual cars these days is it worth bothering about... Insurance - which bottom feeding bastards should I steer him towards? Anyone gone through this recently? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackie 510 Report post Posted December 7, 2022 My son is learning in a manual and going to sit his test in a manual even though his car is an auto. Makes sense to learn a manual is my thinking. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kees 581 Report post Posted December 7, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, MD13 said: My son will be 16 shortly and is looking forward to driving which has me thinking... Now I'm old but when I was a lad you always learned in a manual car and sat the test in one so you didn't have the 'auto only' label. Given how hard it is to find manual cars these days is it worth bothering about... Insurance - which bottom feeding bastards should I steer him towards? Anyone gone through this recently? I would definitely advocate for learning in a manual. I got my learners in 2018 and learnt in a manual. While it is harder, I think the additional skills learnt are very valuable. Not only is it a useful skill that comes in handy occasionally; (its shocking how many people cannot drive manual) whether its moving a work car, or sober driving a mate's car, I think learning in a manual gives you a better understanding of driving dynamics such as; braking and shifting before a corner, anticipating whats ahead of you etc. My experience with insurance is that for "regular" cars AMI Young Drivers' Insurance is generally the cheapest. I somehow managed to get my 540i insured by them back in 2020 for a reasonable amount (although I think they have changed their insurance matrix since then as they would not cover my W8s, Boxster, Legacy, S8, S6 etc). I also had a cheap Mazda 6 and Mercedes A170 which they insured for a minimal amount. Otherwise, AA insurance usually ensure the more powerful/niche cars but that does come at a bit of a premium. Edited December 7, 2022 by Kees 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aja540i 1896 Report post Posted December 7, 2022 We have a huge amount of trouble hiring staff that are licensed to drive our manual work trucks, just something he might want to consider as being beneficial on a CV. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
